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Chapter 32: The Sage Watches the Phantom Beastâs Rampage
ăA volley of arrows rained down on the Imperial Army.\năThey pierced the soldiers without mercy, disrupting their formation.\năI could hear people everywhere screaming in agony.
ăHowever, the damage was minimal.\năOf the tens of thousands of troops, only about a hundred were injured.\năIf you look at it as a whole, it was a negligible number.
No, somethingâs wrong.
ăAs I observed the battlefield, I noticed something strange.\năSome of the soldiers were coughing violently.\năSome were on their knees, unable to move, and others were vomiting blood.\năAll of these phenomena occurred in the vicinity of where the arrows had hit.\năThe soldiers who had sensed something strange began to retreat in a panic.
ăI asked Henry.
âWhat did you do?â
âI put powdered poison on the arrows,â he said. âAnd as soon as they hit the target, it scatters. It disperses quickly and loses its toxicity, but while itâs still in effect, itâs very potent.â
ăHenry explained proudly.\năHe had an animated look on his face.\năHe wasnât just a combat maniac, he also likes this kind of trickery.\năHenry does not hesitate even if itâs inhumane.\năHe is a man who will do what he judges to be the most practical.
âThis is the most efficient method to reduce enemy numbers with the least effort. If they know that the arrows are poisoned, their movements will slow down. We have to take advantage of that gap.â
ăHenry, speaking in an easygoing manner, took his bow and shot an arrow.\năThe merciless shot pierced the forehead of a man far in the distance, who looked like a commander.\năThe man collapsed with his eyes wide open.
ăHenry continued to shoot his bow.\năThis time, he caught another soldier in the forehead.\năA man who was just about to give orders to the others.\năBoth were at a distance where it was difficult to distinguish them with the naked eye, but he managed to shoot them dead as if it were natural.
âThatâs impressive.â
âHahaha, praise wonât get you anything.â
ăHenry, in a good mood, skillfully handled his bow as he spoke.\năOne after another, he shot and killed those that appeared to be the commanders.\năIt was very like him to thoroughly destroy the chain of command.
ăIn the meantime, the demons were shooting the poisoned arrows.\năEven if they didnât hit their target, the enemy would still be harmed just by being in the vicinity of the arrows.\năThe Imperial troops were naturally restricted in their movements.\năThey were tormented by a great deal of confusion, including the fact that their commanders had fallen.
ăMost of the Imperial forces already had their hands full trying to deal with us.\năOnly a few were left to take down the undead on the forest side.\năThey must have thought that they should prioritize attacking us.\năIt was a reasonable decision.\năThatâs what I thought they would do.
ăSoon after, the imperial army unleashed a counterattack with arrows.\năThey rained down in overwhelming density from overhead.\năIt was a well-coordinated movement despite the surprise attack and the reduction of their commanders.\năThe soldiers were used to fighting.\năTheir overall quality was extraordinary.
ăHowever, in the end, they were only human.\năThey were not strong enough to take on a true monster.\năI had to show them our difference, which could not be reversed by effort alone.
ăI used my wind magic to brush aside the rain of arrows.\năSome of the arrows had been strengthened by magic, but that didnât matter.\năI just let my magic output blow them away.
ăThe rain of off-target arrows fell around the Demon Lordâs army.\năWe were all unharmed.
âNo matter how many times I see it, the generalâs magic is still amazing. You think so too, donât you?â
ăHenry applauded, and then turned to Logan, who was watching the scene quietly.\năLogan raised his eyebrows slightly.\năHe glanced at me with a grim expression.
ââŚYeah, thatâs right. As expected of the Demon Lord.â
ăLogan spoke after a slight pause.\năContrary to his words, his gaze seemed like one directed towards a friend.\năIt was a minute change that the others didnât even notice.\năEven after witnessing the power of the Demon Lord, his attitude did not change.\năI was secretly relieved.
ăAt that moment, I heard something cutting through the wind, coming in my direction.\năIt was an arrow aimed at me.\năI deployed my defensive magic and parried the arrow right in front of me.
Looks like they were planning a surprise attack.
ăI picked up the broken arrow, and spotted the archer who fired it blending in with the army on the other side.\năHis aim was accurate.\năIf he had been lucky, I might have received a direct hit.\năSeems like the Imperial Army has some excellent archers.\năJust when I thought that, Henry took out the archer with his bow.
âHahaha, looks like there are some tactless people out there.â
ăHenry said as if it were natural.\năLong-range combat was his forte.\năHis bow, made from a dragon, has an overwhelming range.\năWhen you combined that with Henryâs skill, the entire battlefield was now in his attack range.\năFrom the enemyâs point of view, he was nothing but a threat.
Maybe I should play a bit of an active role.
ăWith that in mind, I launched a miasma spear.\năThe spear, gliding through the air, impaled several soldiers at once.\năThe sacrificed soldiers were corrupted by the miasma and turned into undead.
ăThe undead created in this manner began to attack their former comrades.\năThose who were devoured also came back to life as undead.\năIt was a battle strategy that I was already familiar with.\năNow the soldiers of the Imperial Army could not easily approach us.
ăWhile I was watching the undead multiply, a luminous thing appeared in the sky.\năA lion, tinged with a faint light glow, calmly appeared in the sky.\năThe lion attacked the imperial army, its wings rising and falling.
ăIt tore soldiers apart with its claws and bit them to pieces with its fangs.\năFrom its mouth, it spat out blazing red flames that burned the army.\năSwords and spears bounced off the surface of its body, and magic dissipated when it came in contact with the lionâs glow.\năThe lion killed off the soldiers in the blink of an eye.\năThe soldiers did not have the slightest time to attack us.
Thatâs a phantom beast created by spirit magic.
ăI noticed its true identity at a glance.\năThere is only one person who can use magic like that in this place.
ââŚâŚâ
ăThe person in question, Logan, was concentrating with his arms folded.\năHis normally sharp gaze seemed to have narrowed even more.\năHenry, who had stopped shooting, was impressed to see the phantom beast slaughtering the soldiers one by one.
âOho, so this is what the elves have been hiding. Thatâs quite impressive.â
â⌠I canât hold out much longer. Quickly wrap it up.â
ăLogan grunted as he stared at the battlefield.\năIf I looked closely, I could see sweat trickling down his face.\năHis teeth were clenched and grating.
ăIt takes a lot of effort to maintain a phantom beast of that level.\năNormally, a few elves would work together to create a few inferior individuals.\năIn the first place, Logan was specialised at supporting techniques.\năItâs not like he had any aptitude for attack techniques like phantom beasts.\năItâs the pride and obstinacy of the elf clan that made him use a phantom beast even if it required such intense effort.\năIt was to assert that he was not simply an existence that needed protection from the Demon Lord.\năOf course, it was also a way to get back at the empire that was trying to take away his homeland.
âWell, I guess itâs time to charge. General, do you mind?â
ăHenry, who had lowered his bow, asked with sparkling eyes.\năI was on the verge of losing my grip on reason when I saw him.\năI felt as if he was about to break out into a run.
ăI nodded to him.
âAll right. Crush them to your heartâs content. You can annihilate them too.â
âHahaha, thatâs the best order! All right, guys, letâs go!â
ăThe elated Henry broke away from the vanguard and ran forward.\năThe demons followed him in a furious sprint.\năThe result was a strange situation in which only a few undead were left behind.
ââŚYour new companions are boisterous, arenât they?â
ăLogan spoke with a bit of dismay.\năThe lion phantom beast that was running around the battlefield disappeared as if it were evaporating.\năHe seemed to have decided that it had done its job for the time being.\năI was glad that he hadnât pushed himself too hard and collapsed.
âTheyâre certainly boisterous. But they can be trusted.â
ăI muttered as I watched the imperial troops begin to retreat.\năThey have a myriad of different motives and beliefs, but they were ones who have decided to serve the Demon Lord.\năThey will fight for me until the moment of their death.
âI see. Iâm relieved.â
ââŚâŚâ
ăI looked at Logan.\năHe was staring fixedly at the Demon Lordâs Army trampling down the Imperial Army.\năHis profile was overflowing with firm determination and resolve.\n